Perfect Fit
by northcaroline
Summary: Fox preview videos show Peter wearing a sweater. Here is my insane speculation on that sweater's origin. Christmas fluffyfluff.  Finale speculation.


Title: Perfect Fit  
>Pairing: PeterOlivia.  
>Rating: K+<br>Summary: Fox preview videos show Peter wearing a sweater. Here is my insane speculation on that sweater's origin. Christmas fluffyfluff. [Finale speculation.]  
>Spoilers: For a particular piece of clothing, and vague speculation on time and relative dimensions in space.<br>Disclaimer: I do not pretend to own _Fringe_.

There's nothing more magical than being six years old at Christmastime.

On this blustery December day, Lucy is an explosion of uncontainable energy, skipping alongside her no-nonsense mother as they make their way through the shopping mall. They are on a mission-presents for Grandpa and Aunt Rachel-but the crowds and the child's yuletide glee are slowing down the process.

They are in a department store, looking at shoes, when Lucy spots a display of sweaters across the room. She wanders off, and, as her mother is distracted, goes unnoticed as she slips away. It is a few moments later, when Olivia looks to her daughter for approval on the pair she's chosen, that she realizes her daughter has left her side. Her heart leaps to her throat in an instant, adrenaline hitting as she scans the room madly for the little girl.

She searches for what feels like hours-but is less than a minute-, stopping strangers to terrifyingly ask if they've seen a six-year-old girl with brown hair and a red corduroy dress. Finally, she sees Lucy, standing on tiptoes as she rifles through a stack of sweaters on a display table. She exhales heavily-then works on not being angry.

"Lucy!" she calls, and the girl turns around at once, oblivious to her mother's panic. Olivia bends down before her daughter, putting her hands on her face and shoulders as she ascertains that she's fine and really there.

"What's wrong, Mommy?"

"Sweetheart, you scared me. You can't just go walking away from me-we've talked about this."

Lucy looks down at her shoes in embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I just saw this shirt and I thought we should buy this for Daddy."

Olivia bites her lip now, trying not to laugh. It is _not _a good-looking sweater, nor is it her husband's style. "Yeah? You think he would like this?"

She nods emphatically. "I was just trying to find his size but I don't know it."

"Tell you what," Olivia says. "If you can find one in a size _M_, it can be your very own gift to Daddy on Christmas morning."

The little girl's face lights up, and she goes to her task as she thumbs carefully through the stack until she finds a medium. "I found one!" she shouts excitedly.

Olivia pulls it out from the pile, carefully not to knock over the ones folded on top, and she holds it out in front of her to display it for Lucy. "You're sure? _This _is the sweater you want to buy for your dad?"

It's impossible for Olivia not to be charmed by her daughter, who is completely sure of her purchase and, of course, completely adoring of her father. "Yes, Mommy. I'm sure."

* * *

><p>It's Christmas morning at 5:15 AM.<p>

Olivia monitors the unwrapping, making sure the kids take turns opening presents, while Peter videotapes the process. Walter sits on the couch and watches the proceedings, commenting on gifts and casually drinking tea. Charlie has received a huge Lego set, about which he and his grandfather are equally thrilled.

It's so wonderfully normal for two people who still spend their days solving the world's most bizarre crimes. Peter's narration of the video reflects his delight.

"Santa brought Kate her very own computer. She's humoring us with opening the rest of the presents, but we know she just wants to set it up-right, Katie? Charlie and Grandpa are getting ready to start on that monstrous Star Wars Lego set. Here's Lucy, who got a _bike _from Santa that she's pretty happy about..." He pans to Olivia and catches her tired smile. They were up late assembling the presents, after Charlie and Lucy refused to fall asleep until almost midnight. "And there's my beautiful wife. You wanna say 'Merry Christmas,' Livia?"

"Merry Christmas," she says sleepily, waving half-heartedly to the camera.

Once the kids have made a big dent in the stack under the tree, Olivia calls Lucy to her side with a crooking finger and a mischievous smile. She pulls her daughter into her lap and whispers into her ear, "Do you want to give Daddy his present now?"

Lucy's eyes go wide and happy, and Olivia passes her the wrapped box and gives her a nudge toward her father. "Daddy, this one's from me," she says excitedly.

Peter is surprised, but he passes the video camera to Walter and sits down on the floor beside Lucy to open the gift. The kids all get their parents something small from the holiday fair at school, but this is a _big _box. He's excited and a little nervous as he tears off the green paper.

He has no idea what he was expecting to see, but it definitely wasn't this.

Inside the box is the ugliest, pilliest, brown and beige-iest sweater he has ever seen. And his daughter is looking up at him like she has just presented him with a sweater made from thread spun with solid gold, not the itchiest wool he can imagine.

"Do you like it?" she coos, plopping herself in his lap.

Kate is smirking at him from the couch, looking up from the setup guide to her computer. Everyone knows how awful this sweater is, but there's nothing he can possibly say, except, "I love it, baby girl." He pulls her closer for a hug, kissing her crazy Christmas morning bedhead. "And I love you."

"Love you, too, Dad," she says, kissing him on the cheek.

Olivia takes a swig of coffee and looks over at her husband with a challenge in her eye. "Put it on, Peter."

Peter looks back at her, knowing full well what she's trying to do. "You know, I'm actually a little warm right now, but maybe later."

"No, Daddy! Wear it now!" Lucy demands sweetly, and now he has no choice. Peter is nothing if not a father wrapped around his daughters' fingers.

"Oh, yes, Peter, try it on," Walter says, training the video camera on him.

Olivia and Kate look on in amusement as he pulls the sweater over his gray t-shirt. They're both holding in laughter-Kate is pinching her leg as hard as she can to keep from losing it. Lucy is practically beside herself with pride.

"You look _so _good."

"Thank you, sweetheart." He kisses her cheek one more time, then reaches for Olivia's coffee mug. "Refill?"

"I'll help you," she says, standing up to follow him into the kitchen. He pours coffee while she gets out the sugar, and when they have both fixed fresh cups, she kisses him on the lips. "Merry Christmas."

"Mmm, Merry Christmas."

"You really do look good in that sweater," she jokes.

"Did you pay money for this?"

"She couldn't pass it up, Peter."

He chuckles. _Daughters_.

"I'll make it up to you," she says under her breath, kissing his neck right where the collar meets his skin.

He stands behind her as they look into the next room at the little family they've created. It's not something either of them could have predicted on a hot day in Iraq eighteen years ago, but he doesn't think anyone could ever predict someone like Kate, someone like Charlie, or someone like Lucy. "You ready?" he asks.

"They're gonna freak," she whispers.

"That's kind of the point," he whispers back.

"Okay, I'll distract the kids. You go get the puppy."


End file.
